1906 Baseball Season

Unusual exploits and excellent Cubs pitching captured headlines during the 1906 baseball season. See an assortment of headlines below:

Jake Beckley Hired as Ump

Jake Beckley remains a rather shadowy figure -- although he played 20 years in the majors and made 2,930 hits -- and this photograph only heightens the enigmatic tinge he possessed. He is shown wearing a St. Louis uniform despite the fact that he played for Pittsburgh the year the photo was taken (1888). In 1906, he was hired as an umpire for the National League.

Three Finger Brown Starts His Run

Beginning in 1906, Three Finger Brown won 20 or more games for the Cubs for six consecutive years. He went 26-6 that year to post the highest winning percentage of his career (.813), and his nine shutouts and 1.04 ERA led the National League that season.

When Brown showed signs of slipping in 1912, the team rewarded him by trying to send him to the minors. Brown got a bit of revenge, though, when he helped the Chicago Whales win the Federal League pennant in 1915 while the Cubs finished below .500.

Harry McIntire Loses No-No

Harry McIntire's luck in 1906 typified that of most Brooklyn pitchers in the early years of the century: Not only was he defeated despite throwing a no-hitter, he also was a 20-game loser for the second season in a row. In 1908, another Brooklyn pitcher, Jim Pastorius, had a 2.44 ERA yet finished with a 4-20 record as the Brooks scored just 375 runs in 154 games.

Frank Chance Meets Fate

Frank Chance holds both the season and career records for the most stolen bases by a first baseman -- 57 swipes in 1906, 401 thefts total. Given the added challenge of managing, he seemed only to improve as a player -- at least initially. The 1906 campaign, however, turned out to be the last in which he was able to perform to full capacity.

Ed Walsh Defeats Jack Pfeister

The match: Game three of the 1906 World Series. The place: West Side Park, then the home ground of the Cubs. On the mound for the Cubs is Jack Pfeister, a 3-0 loser that day to Ed Walsh of the White Sox, who threw a two-hitter to give the Sox a 2-1 lead in the Series. Walsh shut out the Cubs.

Find even more highlights from the 1906 baseball season on the next page.